I will discuss all the nutritive factors connected with better hair growth, or, in reverse, the nutritional deficiencies connected with hair loss and baldness. But first let me disprove one of the fallacious notions held by many authorities on the hair-through-nutrition subject. They claim that for healthy hair growth you need first and foremost “protein, protein and more protein!’
It is true that just about all your body is made up of protein. Of course it is true that your hair is also made up largely of protein. But this does not mean that you have to eat masses of protein each day. Your actual protein need for the normal, healthy functioning of all the vital organs and processes of your body is only about 30 grams a day, which can be supplied by one pint of milk and a cheese sandwich. Protein intake should not exceed 50-60 grains per day—which is less than half what is usually advocated in the United States. Proteins eaten in excess of the actual need, especially animal proteins, are definitely detrimental to your health, including the health of your hair. And don’t forget that practically all natural foods contain some protein, even fruits and vegetables.
Here is something to ponder: Are there many bald heads in Japan, China, India, or Mexico? In these countries a bald man is rare and the hair retains its blue-black color until very old age. Yet these people live, by American standards, on a very low protein diet. Certainly, hereditary factors have some part to play in this. But heredity is not the whole answer, as demonstrated by the fact that Chinese and Mexicans get gray hair and even become sleek-bald when they move to the United States and adopt western habits of eating. Studies of the nutritional habits of these people have shown that their diets are very high in vitamins, especially vitamins C and B; minerals; trace elements, especially iodine; and essential fatty acids—ail very important for healthy hair growth.
If you’d like to undertake a program of feeding your hair from within, please don’t stuff yourself with huge amounts of animal protein. Too much animal protein may cause metabolic disorders, self-intoxication and hardening of the arteries with resultant impaired blood circulation—in other words, it may create the very problems you are trying to remedy. Enough, but not too much, should be the rule in regard to protein.
*111\58\2*
Related Posts:
Tags: General health
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.